Fiji Participates in WTO Ministerial Conference in Cameroon

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Hon. Sakiasi Ditoka, led Fiji’s delegation to the Fourteenth Ministerial Conference (MC14) of the World Trade Organization, which took place from 26–29 March 2026 in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Supporting the Hon. Minister were Fiji’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and other International Organisations in Geneva, H.E. Laitia Tamata, Director Trade Ms. Deepika Singh, and other senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade.

MC14 brought together delegates from the WTO’s 166 member countries to deliberate on key global trade issues. Nearly 2,000 trade officials, including more than 90 ministers, attended the four-day MC14 in Yaoundé.

As the Organization’s highest decision-making body, the Ministerial Conference provided a critical platform for advancing negotiations and shaping the future of the multilateral trading system.

Fiji actively participated in discussions across priority areas, including WTO reform, fisheries subsidies, dispute settlement reform, agriculture, and electronic commerce. Fiji, as part of the Pacific Group, continued to advocate for outcomes that support small, vulnerable economies, including addressing the digital divide and ensuring that global trade rules remain inclusive and development-oriented.

Key outcomes of MC14 included Ministers agreeing to continue negotiations on fisheries subsidies, with a view to achieving comprehensive disciplines by the 15th Ministerial Conference. For Fiji, continuing negotiations on comprehensive disciplines on fisheries subsidies that address overcapacity and overfishing is essential for protecting fish stocks that underpin our food security, livelihoods, and economic resilience.

Two important decisions were also adopted on improving the integration of small economies into the multilateral trading system, and enhancing the effective implementation of special and differential treatment provisions under the Sanitary and Phytosanitary and Technical Barriers to Trade Agreements.

While consensus was not reached on several key issues, including the WTO Work Programme on Electronic Commerce and the extension of moratoriums on customs duties on electronic transmissions and TRIPS non-violation complaints, members agreed to carry forward the draft texts developed in Yaoundé for further negotiation in Geneva.

Fiji supports continued engagement in Geneva to finalise these outcomes and remains committed to working constructively with all WTO members to strengthen the multilateral trading system.

Fiji reiterates the importance of ensuring that future WTO outcomes deliver tangible benefits for developing and small island economies, particularly in enhancing resilience, improving market access, and supporting sustainable development.